10159123Clinty Chemicals – Optimising Purafloc®: Advanced Modelling and Characterisation of a Liquid Activated Carbon Solution for Emerging Contaminants in Water TreatmentClosedGrant for R&DInnovate UKClinty Chemicals manufactures Purafloc, an advanced liquid adsorbent designed for water and wastewater treatment. This innovative product effectively removes pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, pesticides, and other pollutants from drinking water and wastewater. As far as we know, Purafloc is unique in the market, significantly outperforming competitors and providing a critical solution for water treatment operators facing regulatory compliance challenges. Purafloc is approved by the UK Drinking Water Inspectorate and is currently in production, supplying three UK water utilities. Clinty Chemicals is actively working with additional utilities to expand its adoption across multiple sites. Growing market demand is driven by increasing awareness of micro-pollutants' impact on human health and aquatic ecosystems. A key advantage of Purafloc is its ability to be dosed directly into existing treatment systems without requiring significant capital investment. As a liquid formulation, it seamlessly integrates into current processes, adsorbing pollutants before being removed through standard treatment methods. No other product on the market matches Purafloc's combination of efficiency, ease of deployment, and performance. However, a challenge lies in understanding the balance between the formulation and manufacturing efficiency. Until now, improvements have relied on trial and error, limiting the ability to fine-tune production while ensuring consistent product performance. This project, in collaboration with ASTUTE, aims to develop a data-driven understanding of key formulation parameters using material science (surface characterisation, nanoscale analysis) and data analysis (machine learning) to understand their impact on Purafloc's adsorption capabilities. Beyond improving manufacturing scalability and efficiency, gaining deeper insight into these interactions could lead to further product enhancements. In particular, this research could help optimise Purafloc for the removal of emerging contaminants such as PFAS, which are notoriously difficult to eliminate from drinking water. By refining our manufacturing process while maintaining Purafloc's superior performance, this initiative supports Clinty Chemicals' commitment to innovation, regulatory compliance, and sustainable water treatment solutions.